Ladder-bracket



C. M. DUNLAP.

LADDER BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1919.

31,332,385. Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Q/TNESSES: 4 M v YINVENTOR W M J I y W UNITED STATES PATENT QFFTCE.

CHARLES IVI. DUNLAP, OF SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

LADDER-BRACKET.

Application filed March 3, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLEs M. DUNLAP, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Ladder-Bracket, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to portable scaffolds and more particularly to attachments used in conjunction with ladders, the attachments forming the plank supporting brackets.

One object of this invention is to simplify such brackets making them applicable to ladders in which the distance between rounds or rungs are not equally spaced.

Another object is to equally distribute the weight on the different rounds or rungs of the ladder.

Another object is to stabilize such brackets by eliminating any compressive stresses and substituting tensile stresses as far as possible.

Another object is to make the device easily attachable and adjustable for difierent angles in which the ladder may be set.

Other objects will appear from the following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective side elevation of the device attached to a ladder.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the adjusting bar end.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the bar in Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a fragmentary detail side elevation of the connecting and supporting bar, illustrating the interlocking of the rung or hook bar with the supporting bar.

Fig. 5 is a slight modification of Fig. 1 in relation to the engaging or interlocking member on the hook or rung bar, a suitable head or projecting member being riveted to the hook or rung bar instead of the pin through the yoke as in Fig. 4c.

The ladder 6 with the rungs or rounds 7, or any device of similar construction is used as the foundation or supporting part in conjunction with my device. The hook or rung bars, 8, 9 and 10 form the engaging means of my device, being provided with suitably formed hooks 11 to engage over the rungs or cross members of ladders or similar devices. The connecting or supporting bar 12 is preferably rigidly secured to the hook bar 8, as indicated at 13. Along one edge of the bar 12, a suitable number of notches or recesses Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 280,369.

1% are provided to form the interlocking means between the bar 12 and the hook bars 9 and 10. Through this arrangement any number of hook bars can easily be interlocked with a supporting bar (of suitable length) to distribute the weight of the scaffold over a suitable number of cross members on the ladder, as will easily be understood. Yokes are rigidly secured to the hook bars 9 and 10, slidingly engaging over the supporting bar 12, as indicated at 16. The pins 17 are disposed through the yokes 15 so as to come into engagement with the notches 14: in the supporting bar 12. The yokes 15 are of such proportion as to allow the supporting bar 12 to easily slide through the yokes past the pins 17 for setting and adjusting the hook bars 9 and 10 in suitable relation to the supporting bar 12. When so set, with one of the notches engaging over one pin in the yokes, adjusted to the distance between the cross members in the ladder, a wed e or pin 18 is dropped into the free space within the yoke at theback of the supporting bar 12 so as to keep the supporting bar rigidly engaged with the hook bars in such position. The wedge 18 is preferably held on the supporting bar by suitable rings 19. An ad justing bar 20 is pivotally engaged at 21 with the upper hook bar 8, the bar 20 being provided with a suitable number of notches 22 along one edge and the free end having a hook shaped termination 28, as can be more clearly seen in the detail illustrations in Figs. 2 and 3. The pin 24: at the end of the double bar 25 is provided to engage in the several notches 22 for adjustment forming the interlocking means between the adjusting bar 20 and the double bar 25, adjusting bar 20 and double bar 25 forming one member as a brace for the device. The lower ends 26 engage pivotally with the rest bar 27, the rest bar having hook-shaped ends 28 to engage over the hook bar 9, when the ladder is inclined as illustrated in Fig. 1. The hook-ends 28 can also be engaged over the hook-bar 10, which will be of advantage when placing the device behind or under the ladder as indicated in dotted lines at 29, the board 31 will then, in either form, be positioned in a practically horizontal level, which is necessary if the board is to be used for men to stand or work on, as will easily be understood. The adjusting rod 20-25 serves to help the arranging of the board in a desired level.

The illustration in. Fig. 5 is to make it clear that instead of the pin 17 through the yoke 15 a suitably shaped head or member 30 can be riveted into the hook bars 9 and 10 for engagement with the supporting bar 12.

The hook bar 8 is hooked to one of the cross members of a ladder and the hook bars 9 and 10' each are then adjusted to bring its pin 17 or rivet 80 into engagement with one of the notches 14 in the supporting bar 12 so as to locate the hook bars 9 and 10 in suitably engaging position in relation to other cross members of the ladder.

In such adjusted position the hook bars 8, 9 and 1.0 will of course fit on either side of the ladder, the upper side as illustrated in the drawing in Fig. l, or the under side or behind the ladder as indicated in dotted lines at 29.

Placing the device as illustrated in Fig. 1, the upper end of the adjusting rod or bar 20-25 is already pivotally engaged to the device at 21, there remains only to hook the rest bar :27 with its hook ends 28 to the device, and then to adjust the adjusting bar I 2025 so as to bring the rest bar 27 to a practically horizontal position to form a good rest for the board 31.

Placing the device on the ladder behind the ladder or under it as indicated in dotted lines at 29, naturally leaves only to hook the hook-ends 28 preferably to. the hook bar 10 and then to adjust the adjusting rod 20.25 so as to bringthe rest bar again to a practically horizontal position to form a practical rest for board 31.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a ladder bracket, a suitable number of hook bars adapted to engage with the cross members of a ladder, a supporting bar having means for engaging with the hook bars so as to bring the several hook bars in engagement with several cross members of the ladder to form a united support forthe supporting bar, a rest member having hook ends adapted to engage with one of'the hook bars so as to project with its other 'end forward from the device, and an adjusting bar having one end pivotally engaged to the upper end of the device and having its other end pivotally engaged to the forward projecting end of the rest member.

2. In a ladder'bracket of the class described, a suitable number of hook bars adapted to engage with the cross members of a ladder, a supporting bar secured with one end to one of the hook-bars and having means for adjustably' engaging with the other hook bars so as to bring the several hook bars in engagement with several cross members of the ladder to form a united sup port for the supporting bar, a rest member having hook ends adapted to engage with one of the hook bars so as to project with its other end forward from the device, and an adjusting bar having one end pivotally e11- gaged to the upper end of the supporting bar and having its other end pivotally engaged to the forward projecting end of the rest member.

3. In a ladder bracket of the class described, a supporting bar having a suitable number of notches along one of its longitudinal edges, a hook bar rigidly secured near one end of the supporting bar having hook members adapted to engage over one of the cross members of a ladder so as to bring the supporting bar to practically project at. right angles from the ladder, a-suitable number of hook bars having hook members adapted to engage over other cross members of the ladder, and having each a yoke slidingly engaging over the supporting bar, alocking; member provided within the space between each yoke and its hook bar and adapted to engage with one of the notches in the supporting bar but normally allowing the supporting bar to slide through the yoke,.a wedge member fitting within the v yoke at the back of the supporting bar when gaged to the upper'endof' the supporting bar and having its other end pivotally engaged to .the forward projecting end of the rest member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionI have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' CHARLES M. 'DUNLAP.

' "Witnesses S. B. BEERS, PAULINE J. CHRIST. 

